MDSBDC training programs are designed for all stages of small business development.
Topics range from turning ideas into business plans to developing growth strategies and expanding into international trade.
Our seminars are affordable and taught by skilled professionals. In addition to our website check out our quarterly training brochures for schedules of upcoming events.

Here you will
find a comprehensive
listing of
Training Workshops
the Maryland
Small Business
Development
Center
- Eastern Region currently
offers or
have offered
in the past
to many of
Maryland aspiring
entrepreneurs.
The Maryland
Small Business
Development
Center (MDSBDC)
sponsors training
seminars in
conjunction
with local
colleges,
universities,
business professionals
and volunteers.
You can find
a short description
of these Training
Workshop seminars
by clicking
the name of
the workshop
in the listing.

Access to Capital: Micro-Loans for Small Business
Micro-businesses and small businesses needing only small loans ($5,000 - $25,000) now have better options for obtaining the capital they need. Learn about what programs and choices Micro Lenders now provide, including information from Maryland Capital Enterprises, Inc.

Also learn about the SBA Community Express Loan Program, a new initiative designed to spur economic development and job creation in untapped rural and inner city communities with venture capital, commercial loan credits and technical assistance. Loans include term loans, lines of credit and commercial mortgages. Proceeds can be used for purchasing inventory, machinery and equipment, land and buildings and for working capital.

Following the ATC seminar, there will be representatives from Innovative Bank on hand to take applications for their Community Express unsecured loans. The fee is $20, including materials. For more information or to register, contact the SBDC Training Office at 410-543-6516 or email SBDCtraining@salisbury.edu.

Agri-Tourism is quickly becoming big business on the Eastern Shore! This one-day seminar covers all areas of concern for those wanting to enter the new world of Agri-tourism. A SBDC counselor will cover the Basics of Business. Other experienced officials will cover issues on zoning, planning, economic development, insurance and risk management.

This day will also include an hour long panel of four different types of Agri-Tourism farms and operations who are there to answer your questions.

Attract, Hire and Retain Key Talent
This course is designed for those anticipating the need to hire a full-time, part-time employee or independent contractor’s depending on your business growth cycles. Topics include the analysis of your business growth including staff forecasting and planning, what essential competencies are needed and how to identify applicants who will succeed with you. Learn ways to retain your best people by shaping culture, providing feedback and rewarding your team.

Big Business Marketing on a Small Business Budget
Don’t confuse marketing with promotions and sales! Marketing encompasses both, as well as many other activities. With careful planning and a strategic vision, be able to apply marketing tools effectively within a reasonable budget.
Discover creative ways to get the most out of your marketing plan. Investigate marketing ideas that can be applied immediately to your business.

Business Plan WorkshopYou wanted a business
plan workshop that would go into detail about the elements of a business
plan and how to go about taking the ideas in your head and getting them onto
paper. Students are encouraged to bring business plan outlines and ideas to
this hands on workshop in order to get the most bang for their buck!

Child Care Center Smart Start
There has never been a better time than today to open a child care center! The demand for quality child care providers is at an all time high and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. Starting in 1995, the U.S. Census revealed that 14.6 million mothers worked outside the home, and, today 51% of all new mothers now return to work before their child’s first birthday. As more and more families become dependent on two incomes to survive, the child care industry sky rockets. This course will focus on the business aspects of opening a child care center:

How to write a business plan

Why you need to write a business plan

Can I make a living as a day care provider?

Join us for this class and discover the rewards of becoming a child care
provider. This course is in partnership with the Lower Shore Child Care Center
(410) 543-6655.

Developing a Winning Small Business Plan and Loan Proposal
Turn your business ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. Discover how committing your ideas in
the form of a business plan can keep your business strategically focused. Learn techniques for tailoring your
loan request to fit specific loan programs and increase your chances of obtaining financing. Work through all of the
major components of a business plan and emerge with your first draft in hand. An excellent course for current business
owners and for anyone thinking of starting a business.

Disaster Preparation For the Small
Business
This course provides an overview of the needs, issues and potential solutions
for small businesses in preparing, enduring and recovering from local to
catastrophic regionaldisasters and critical incident situations.

A disaster strikes a small business every 6
minutes….Is your business and family prepared???

Explore the 7 most costly mistakes small
businesses make in a disaster and the importance of local
businesses in a disaster preparation and recovery process.

Education of business owners on how to serve their customers in
effective and cost efficient manner in a disaster crisis while
establishing long lasting loyal customer relationships.

Information on low cost and no cost ways to successfully prepare, endure
and recover their business, families and staff quickly in a disaster
situation.

eBay Smart StartAre you a retailer burdened with holiday overstock? Would you like to offer your collectibles, arts or crafts to a broader market? Do you enjoy the excitement of an online auction?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then this is the class for you! You are just a few mouse clicks away from owning your own eBay store. We will have a local expert on hand to offer advice, tips, and protocol for the eBay world. This course will cover the following topics:

Effective Sales Strategies for the Small Business
Investigate how to include business plan marketing strategies and market analysis as part of a formalized sales
plan for your business. Explore proven sales tools and techniques designed to successfully manage relationships
with current customers and prospects. Designed to assist small to medium size businesses improve overall sales
effectiveness.

Essentials of Running a Small Business
This course will provide you with the basics of running a small business. Learn best practices from a successful small business owner. This course can help you take your business to a new level.

Event/Trade Show Design and Marketing Techniques
Exhibiting at trade shows is more than just putting up a booth. Learn the tips and techniques to bring bona fide buyers in and what to do once they are in front of you. Explore the strategy of developing an overall trade show program, designing an effective exhibit, preparing a budget, selecting shows, training booth staff, planning preshow promotions, generating sales and leads, and evaluating performance.

Finding a Franchise Business That is Right for You
Considering purchasing a franchise? Investigate the risks and the rewards, which businesses are “hot,” and how much
money you will need for start-up. Discuss how franchise opportunities compare to other business options. Find out
how you, as a franchise owner, could have the unique ability to be in business for yourself with little up-front
money.

First Steps to Starting Your Own Business
What to look for in selecting your legal business entity, What tax implications are associated with the legal entity, Getting money for your start-up business, Insurance considerations for your start-up business, Business Planning.

Going From Mind To Market
Prepare a Strategic Executive Summary that investors will read, Identify the key elements of a winning business plan, Assess your business and receive recommendations for improvement and success, Successfully market your product or service, Protect your intellectual property, Research where and how to find Financing Opportunities and Alternatives, Submit your strategic Executive Summary for critical review by Professionals, Utilize Existing technology for Commercialization through federal laboratories.

How to Start Your Own Consulting Business
Discover how you can put your personal expertise to work. Learn why organizations hire consultants and how to best market your skills. Cover the components of a business contract, pricing your services, record keeping, taxes, liability, entities, how and why to segment a market, financing, and more.

How to Start & Manage Your Own Business (One-Day Course)
This all-day course helps the new or potential business owner understand concepts vital to start-up success by covering six critical business areas in one day. An SBDC business counselor starts with the importance and basics of writing a business plan, providing a template for writing the plan. Then an attorney , an insurance specialist, a banker, an accountant and a marketing consultant provide information necessary for establishing business structure, insurance requirements, financing options, tax status and bookkeeping needs, and promotional techniques.

This is a wonderful opportunity to obtain a wealth of information from these professionals , all in one day for one low price. This class is held each month at one of the SBDC
Eastern Region locations.

Human Resources Basics: Staffing Your Small Business
Increase your understanding of important recruitment and retention issues involved in human resource management
for the small business. Cover the elements of selection and placement of employees, personnel records, compensation,
legal issues, and resources available to small business owners and managers.

Investment Planning for Small Businesses
Small businesses need investment and retirement planning, too, regardless of whether the business is new, going strong for years, or nearing time of succession or transfer. Learn about options, from SEP and SIMPLE plans, to pension plans, profit sharing plans and 401k’s. A panel of specialists addresses these issues, plus asset protection, succession planning and business transfer, and tax and legal considerations.

Time is included to ask questions of specific speakers and of the panel as a whole. Don’t miss this important opportunity to enrich your business through smart financial planning!

Workers Compensation
is often times the most costly and frustrating coverage for business owners.

The
first portion of the course will focus on simple solutions to effectively
manage your workers compensation cost as well as understand the coverage.
This will be an interactive discussion so bring your questions and concerns!

The
last hour we will discuss key coverages your business should have. Learn
what causes 85% of businesses to file bankruptcy after a major loss and how
you can prevent this from happening to you and your
business.

Effectively using technology for your business is a critical element in your overall business strategy. It requires proper planning, a customer-oriented vision, and knowledge of internet terms concepts and functions. Setting realistic goals and expectations is important in planning a web site and/or software that is both effective and manageable.

Consider this seminar if you are:

Wondering what to do with your existing web site, or thing about building one for the first time

Trying to differentiate yourself from your competitors

Getting the most out of your technology investment

Frustrated by previous experiences, or worried that you don't know enough about the internet/technology

Making the Leap from Employee to Employer
Thinking about starting your own business? Discover how your thoughts about money, marketing, and leadership can
help determine your success. Learn how to set clear goals, priorities, and persevere through challenges. Focus on the
steps that should be taken prior to making the leap from employee to employer.

Marketing Tips for Small Business
Designed to provide small business owners with tips for effectively marketing their business. Shotgun marketing can be costly and often does not result in increased sales or profit. Participants will identify the key components of a marketing plan and learn strategies to effectively execute the plan.

Marketing Your Business On The Internet
After creating a presence on the Internet, many companies expect to reap benefits from being online. But without a strategy to drive traffic to the Web site using both online and offline marketing efforts, those expectations are impractical. Learn strategies for marketing your Web site, including search engine tactics, meta-tags, partnership programs and how to keep visitors coming back.

Marketing for Small Businesses - Developing Your Marketing Plan (Part 1 of Marketing for Small Businesses)
Not just for start-ups, but also for existing businesses re-evaluating their marketing, this interactive workshop gets you out of the starting blocks and on the track to putting your plan together on paper. Define what your situation is and who your customers are. Discuss what marketing strategies are available and best suited to your business, time and resources. Identify options and resources for promoting your business. Develop an action plan and measurements for monitoring success.

This half-day Mini session
will cover three elements that are imperative to any start-up business. A
business counselor will cover business plan basics, an accountant will discuss
book keeping and tax issues and an insurance specialist will explain
requirements and regulations pertinent to new business success.

Retail Smart Start
This "sister" session of the "Restaurant Smart Start" is specifically designed for the prospective or new-to-the-business retail owner/manager, although seasoned retailers may gain some new insights as well! The focus of this course is on factors common to success in a retail sales operation, including retail positioning, location/traffic access, managing various inventories, mark-up and profit calculations, vendor and employee relations, general and promotional marketing, customer service in a retail environment, and more. This course does not cover the generic issues of starting a business, such as legal entity, licensing, tax registration, setting up books, etc., which are covered in the regular "Smart Start Your Business."

Restaurant Smart Start
Being the owner\manager of a small restaurant business can be a fun and rewarding experience - OR it can be a difficult and demanding job! And, the current economic environment makes everything more challenging. Find out how to set the stage to make your business an exciting one - for you and your customers. This workshop will expose the participant to issues specific to restaurant businesses.
This Smart Start session is specifically tailored for the prospective or new-to-the-business restaurant owner/manager, although seasoned restaurateurs may find some new insights as well! The focus of this course is on important factors for success in a retail restaurant operation, including restaurant types, location/traffic access, managing perishable inventory, menu and price planning, vendor and employee relations, marketing, what constitutes true customer care in food service establishment, and more..
This course does not cover the generic issues of starting a business, such as legal entity, licensing, tax registration, setting up books, etc., which are covered in the regular "Smart Start Your Business."

Smart Start Your Business (Short Course)
This small-group session held monthly is perfect for those who cannot attend the all-day “How to Start and Manage Your Own Business” course. The instructor is a business counselor from the SBDC who will discuss the basics of starting a business. Resource information and a business plan guide will be provided.

Starting and Managing a Small Business (Eight-Week Course)
This course is an extended version of the all-day “How to Start and Manage Your Own Business” seminar , providing additional time for questions and discussion with each presenter, plus an additional topic and session with SBDC resource partners.

Discover effective techniques for successfully managing a small business. Includes start-up and operating procedures, ownership forms of operation, sources and methods of financing, record keeping, communications, debt collection, personnel, merchandising, and business continuity. The instructors will discuss overcoming problems and pitfalls frequently encountered in running a small business.

The Salisbury University course is co-sponsored by SBDC, Wor-Wic Community College, and Maryland Capital Enterprises, Inc. The cost is $96 for Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset residents. Additional fees for out-of-tri-county-area and out-of-state residents apply.

Stretching Your Advertising Dollars: How to Utilize Radio, TV, and Print Media to the Max
Discover how to have a sound working relationship with your local radio, television, and print outlets. Explore how to negotiate your way around a television station and determine who to contact at a station, newspaper, and billboard advertising department. Practice developing a polished press release and learn what to say in an interview. An excellent course if you need to work with the media to elevate the presence of your small business, church, or nonprofit organization. Do it with little or no dollar investment

Successfully Managing Your Own Business
This session is for current business owners interested in improving their management skills. Professional will discuss topics of book-keeping and taxes, legal issues, and risk management. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and take advantage of the expertise available.

Organize Your Business Records For Tax Time: Prepare in
advance for tax time! Develop a better understanding about W-2 and
1099 reporting and filing. Stress on what records and paperwork you
need to gather for preparing your next return and what the deadlines are.

Quarterly Reporting For the Small Business: Develop a
better understanding for the quarterly payroll reporting and depositing
requirements for small businesses. Cover the components of your
withholding responsibilities for employees and subcontractors. Review
what forms you are required to keep on file as an employer.

Small Business Expenses, Recordkeeping and Allowances:
Business expenses are the costs of carrying on a trade or business.
These expenses are usually deductible if the business is operated to make a
profit. Develop a better strategy for tracking the expenses that are
incurred in your business and discover how they relate to the bottom line on
your tax return.

This fast paced,
dynamic and "hands-on" session to get the most out of your business and
personal life. Understand the events that occupy your time and learn
strategies to efficiently organize, file and retrieve information.
Benefit from the power of planning and discover how to achieve immediate,
intermediate and long-range goals for your small business. Find ways
to deal with interruptions and still maintain your productivity.
Whether you use paper-based, PC-based, or a hand-held organizer, special
tips an techniques will enhance your time and life management skills.